


New Year's Kisses

by Luthen



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Accidental Kissing, Basically Every Nice Kind of Kissing, First Kiss, Kissing, Lots of kissing, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kisses, Platonic Kissing, This fic spans years, new year's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2015-01-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 13:21:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3069656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthen/pseuds/Luthen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since Jamie met his Guardian, Jack has been there for every New Year's Eve. </p><p>Somewhere along the way, this meant a kiss had to be exchanged.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This first half goes up just after New Year's at home in Oz, and I should get the second half up in time for New Year's in Burgess.

### 10 (10)

Jamie’s calendar said it had only been seven months – but it felt longer – since he met Jack Frost. Who was most certainly his best friend forever. Even if Jack couldn’t be around all the time. But every snow day, Jack’s visits made them the best!

Today wasn’t a snow day – it was New Year’s Eve.

Burgess wasn’t a big town, but it had its own traditions. They’d all gather in the town square around Old Thad’s statue and have a winter fete. With a midnight fireworks show.

The Bennetts went every year, and Jamie was super looking forward to this year for two reasons. He was old enough to stay up until midnight, and Jack Frost was going to come.

Jamie was happily wandering around with a cone of buttery popcorn when a chill wind blasted him from above. He looked up and his smile grew to a full-faced grin.

“Jack!”

“Sorry I’m late, kiddo. Hope I didn’t miss the show.”

“It’s okay, it’s only ten thirty,” Jamie assured Jack before leaning close to Jack to whisper, “I’m up way past my bedtime.”

“Way?”

“Way,” Jamie agreed. He frowned and asked, “Sandy’s not going to be mad, is he?”

Jack hummed thoughtfully, and smiled what his “big brother” smile, “Nah, he won’t. I think you can get away with one night. Especially if your mom said it’s okay.”

Jack stuck with Jamie until the fireworks went up and faded away. Jamie was content holding his hand – he thought all the kissing the adults were up to was weird. Plus, Jack acted really offended when Jamie laughed at how the coloured flashes painted Jack’s face.

### 9 (11)

This year Jamie saw Jack coming, so he wasn’t surprised when an icy blast tried to flatten him. The eleven year old levelled his best unimpressed look at his friend and crossed his arms. Half for effect, half to keep warm.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that,” Jack whined, “the others just wouldn’t let me leave. I had to sneak out. And I’m not late, I don’t smell fireworks.”

“Just, Jack, just,” Jamie countered, pinching air and looking at Jack through his almost touching thumb and forefinger. “They’ll be going off in five minutes.”

“Phew,” Jack said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “I was worried I might end up flying into them.”

“You’d deserve it,” Jamie grumbled.

“Don’t be like that.”

The five minutes were spent in a silent battle. Jack first trying to an apology then a rise out of Jamie. And the believer doing his let nothing show. Especially surrounded by a bunch of people who couldn’t see his tormentor.

“10!” began the chant.

“I’m really sorry–” began Jack.

“9!” / “–but there was a–”

“8!” / “–Guardian thing.”

“7!” / “It’s’okay.”

“6!” / “Really?”

“5!” / “Yeah. I under–”

“4!” / “–stand, you’re–”

“3!” / “–a busy hero.”

“2!” / “Thanks.”

“1!” / “No prob.”

“Happy New Year!”

Jamie could’ve sworn that Jack’s face was red even before the fireworks started. They stood comfortably, Jamie leaning against his guardian-friend. The show hadn’t climaxed when Jack tensed and made a little sound of guilty annoyance.

“Oi! Brain-freeze!”

“Gotta go,” Jack half-apologised, and kneeled to pulled Jamie into a hug, “can’t let Bunny catch me. He might throw me in a sack again.”

Looking Jack in the eye, Jamie had an idea. He’d asked his mom about it and it seemed just what Jack needed. So he stretched a little and placed a kiss on Jack’s forehead.

“A New Year’s kiss for good luck. That’s what mom said,” Jamie explained. He saw grey ears over the crowd, and wriggled out of Jack’s hold. “He’s behind you, better fly.”

Jack didn’t, instead he let go of Jamie, saluted and ran through the crowd. Literally. Jamie made sure to point in the wrong direction when Bunny reached him.

### 8 (12) 

Things were different in the Burgess this New Year’s Eve. For most it was merely the addition of a huge projector screen channelling the coverage of Times Square.

For Jamie it was that Jack had been early. The guardian had arrived before even the early winter sunset. And spent the whole evening focused on Jamie.

“I’ll take you there next year.”

“What?”

“Times Square.”

“Really?”

“Yep. It’s pretty neat, we’ll camp out on some rooftop and watch the ball drop.”

“Cool.”

There was only so much to do at a fete you’d attended (or secretly watched) for several years (or decades). After a few hours the duo was bored and had retreated to behind one of the marquees. Jack was telling stories of his travels and of the other Guardians.

“Wait, Tooth won the drinking contest?”

“Yep. You should look up sunbirds.”

“There you are Jamie! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Jack just sniggered and trailed along as Jamie’s mom dragged him back for the countdown. This time the frozen boy decided to be a pest by shouting as many fractional steps as he could fit in. And a few wrong ones.

Jamie was starting at the pyrotechnical spectacle above when something icy pressed against his cheek. He startled away and turned to find Jack grinning unrepentant.

“Revenge is mine!” he cackled, before subsiding, “but also good luck for next year.”

 

### 7 (13)

New York was spectacular. Times Square was spectacular. Jack was spectacular. The trouble Jamie would be in when he got home would be spectacular. And yet he didn’t care.

“Maybe I’ll take you to Sydney next year,” Jack mused. “I mean, it’s summer there but if you wanna go. Plus it’d be what early afternoon back at home?”

“Eight a.m.”

“What?”

“I looked it up, midnight in Sydney is eight in the morning in Burgess,” Jamie said holding up his new phone. 

His mom only vaguely remembered getting it, but Jamie had noticed the Made at the North Pole inscribed on the box. Jamie was sure it was magic.

“Fine,” Jack harrumphed, then metaphorically sprung back up, “Or we could go to Berlin. They have a pancake race! I won the race once.”

“Did you fly?”

“…yes.”

“Then I think you cheated.”

“No, there was no no flying rule.”

“Miss Bomba says double negatives are wrong.”

“Didn’t I say no three times? That makes it a triple negative. Two of those cancel each other, leaving one, right?”

Jamie recognised Jack trying to drag him into a nonsense conversation, and had learned the only way to win was not to play. He dodged Jack’s attempts to lure him into madness by surfing the web.

“Apparently Reykjavik sets off 500 tonnes of fireworks.”

“Really? It’s Reykjavík,” Jack corrected.

Conversation continued about how New Year’s was celebrated around the world. Interspersed with supervised jaunts down to ground level for snacks and sightseeing. Time flew and it glowing ball began its slow descent.

It was an accident. Jack bent too low. Jamie reached too high. It was Jamie’s turn to place the kiss. Jack forgot how much Jamie had grown. Whatever the reasons, this time the good luck kiss wasn’t one-sided. But a mutual peck.

Both boys reeled back in surprise, and in the tradition of masculinity pretended nothing happened.

### 6 (14)

“5!” the crowd of spirits, legends, and a handful of mortals chanted, “4! 3! 2! 1!”

Their cry of “Happy New Year!” was drowned out by fireworks inside and out of the globe room’s dome at the Workshop. But the massive clocks spaced at what be the cardinal directions anywhere but the north pole didn’t keep time. Instead as the minute hand ticked to one past the hour, the hour hand tocked back to eleven.

North liked to party, and since it was forever midnight at his workshop, he was going to celebrate every timezone’s midnight.

Jamie had thought the idea cool but now realised it was tiring. Especially when Bangladesh, Nepal and India had their new years fifteen minutes after one another. 

“Hmmm, ear!”

That was the warning that Jamie got before icy lips pressed themselves against his left ear. He didn’t yelp. No matter what a certain winter guardian might tell you.

“Gah, Jack, was that tongue?”

Jack had decided that new year’s kisses had to be bestowed every time the clock hit midnight. Plus that he didn’t trust anyone to take advantage of Jamie. Something about kisses being potentially enchanted. And that it would be more fun to kiss him somewhere new every single time.

Jamie had been peck on the forehead, nose (nipped even), back of the neck, sole of his foot (somehow), wrist, and half a dozen other places.

Not on the lips though. And when Jamie snuck home in the late hours of the predawn, he slipped into bed oddly disappointed.

### 5 (15)

After the last two years, the Burgess NYE Fete was boring to Jamie. More so than being a moody fifteen year old would account for. The quaint small town affair had nothing on his last two New Year’s. Despite himself, Jamie’s gaze kept swinging back to the screen broadcasting the Times Square show.

It brought back happy memories. But also brutally reminded him of why he was so angry this year.

Only a minute left and Jack hadn’t showed. Jamie hadn’t even seen his Guardian all winter. He couldn’t let himself believe that Jack present yet invisible. Jamie had promised he would always believe in Jack, and he didn’t think he’d broken that promise. Why would he be worried so much if he didn’t believe? Nor could Jamie entertain the thought that Jack was hiding from him.

So something had to be keeping Jack away. Jamie doubted it would be anything less than Pitch threatening to safety of the world’s children.

The countdown began and Jamie joined in only half-heartedly. The fireworks had lost their appeal, and Jamie only watched the fancy sky sparklers because that everyone else was. They seemed dull somehow.

Then everything went black as icy hands covered Jamie’s eyes.

“Jack!” cried Jamie, the emotion a mess of joy, anger, and surprise.

“Hi, sorry, can’t stay long, gotta Monkey King to put down,” Jack rambled as he dropped his hand to spin Jamie by the shoulders, “I’m really sorry about not being here, and I can’t stay. Sorry.”

“You sound like Ten.”

“Sorry?”

“Nevermind.”

“Okay… anyway, why I’m here.”

Jack pulled Jamie towards him and kissed him full on the lips. Not platonically like previous kisses, but nothing untoward. In fact, Jamie felt like it was a test or offer, of what he wasn’t sure. 

“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.”

“Good luck,” Jamie whispered to the wind.

And Jack was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plan for "New Years' Kisses"
> 
>   1. ~~Write 10 drabbles over Decemeber~~ Write 6 on New Years' Eve 
>   2. ~~Post New Years' Eve~~ Post what I've done. 
>   3. ~~Relax~~ Plan to finish New Years' Day if not by the end of the week. 
>   4. Take a month to finish things instead
> 


### 4 (16)

Jamie smiled into the eskimo kiss. And it wasn’t even midnight! He really liked this development from annual to kissing whenever. Plus rubbing noses looked odd, but not insane like tonguing air.

Despite Jack’s offer to revisit Times Square, Jamie’s sixteenth New Year was seen in at the Burgess Fete. He wanted to stick to familiar territory – at least while they began navigating uncharted romantic waters. So Jamie wandered the fete yet again, this time hand in hand with his frosty boyfriend.

Said boyfriend was acting more childish than usual – if that was possible. Jack had got it in his mind to fulfil his date duties of winning prizes for his beau. Which was a tricky task what with Jack’s invisibility. The couple managed though, helped by the stallholders’ split attentions.

However, when midnight came around and the stalls closed up, Jamie was acutely aware of the toy pile awaiting him at home. Jack had helpfully couriered prizes home, but that meant the spirit had lost track of how many he had won.

“Jack what am I meant to do with eight showbags, a dozen little plushes, six stuffed animals bigger than Sophie, and three bigger than me!?”

“Play?” offered the Guardian of Fun and slightly sheepish boyfriend, “Maybe you can give them away to your child army?”

“I’m just a colonel, you’re the general you know.”

“As your superior officer I’m ordering you to stop complaining and kiss me.”

“Sir yes sir.”

Jamie pulled his “commander” around behind a marquee – making sure not yet in use – and drew the icy spirit close. He rubbed their noses, puffed a breath over Jack’s cheeks, and engaged lip-lock.

Kissing Jack always gave Jamie goose-bumps, and not just because the winter spirit was always chilly. Thrill and excitement clung to Jack as much as the cold. Jamie loved the rush of it on his lips. Lips that were being nibbled on. Jack was never very patient, always wanting to get to the real fun.

But Jamie preferred to draw things out a little. Every time Jack tried to push the kiss deeper, Jamie would redirect. Cupping the back of the sprite’s head, pulling on white strands, or even drawing away to the edge of chastity.

Eventually Jack won the game – as he always did – and Jamie caved. The kiss heated, Jamie letting Jack in and switching gears to accelerate. Soon they were trying to share every drop of magic thrill and morsel of warmth.

Fwoosh BANG

If they hadn’t been sucking face one of them would have yelped, instead the surprise just made them tighten their holds. It Jamie a second to realise what was going on, and lean back to watch Jack’s face awash in bursts of colour.

“Happy New Years’.”

### 3 (17)

Jamie gasped, breathless, as he was pushed back against the rough stone wall. The heat of the blood pumping in his ears, chest, _skin_ just served to amplify the icy touch of hands at his wrists. Of glacial lips cleaving against his.

The blizzard engulfing him echoed his pants, working itself into a frantic mess. Desperate to claim Jamie, to sweep him away.

Not that Jamie would let _any_ snowstorm beat him into submission. He pushed back just as fiercely. Hands clawing at white clouds, rubbing heat onto ice, mocking his mortality.

A storm coming for Jamie at the year’s turn was hardly news. But this winter the boy had dared to surpass the white clouds’ altitude. So the cold change had swept Jamie away from home, up into the mountains.

Prevailing winds shifted and the peppering of hail changed direction. Down Jamie’s neck and chest the jolts landed. Each heat sucking hit certainly leaving bruises. Jamie would wear them with pride – as a testament to his endurance.

Then with less warning than even the storm’s onset, it abated. Leaving one mortal and one immortal sprawled shoulder to shoulder, backs to the same cliff Jamie had been pressed up against just moments before.

“Well,” heaved Jamie, “that was awesome.” Another deep breath. “But a little warning next time.”

“If I warned you it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

“I meant the kidnapping, Jack”

“What? Can’t I take my boyfriend out to see the fireworks?”

And because the universe loved coming through on Jack’s pranks at that moment the light cluster of Burgess burst and flashed.

“Yes, and make sure he gets into so _much_ trouble when he gets home. I mean, you destr–”

At the sounds of fireworks finally reaching them, Jamie sighed and let the rest of the rant go. As far as sarcastic tirades went, it wasn’t important. Instead he grabbed Jack by the chin and pulled in him for quick peck.

“Happy New Year.”

### 2 (18) 

Jamie’s cheeks were tingling. He kind of wondered why the beer would all go to his face. Wasn’t it meant to do something to his liver or his brain?

He tripped over nothing but caught himself on a lamppost.

Right. Motor skills. The alcohol _had_ done something to them. Which left him stranded, holding onto a pole that had become his only island of refuge.

Maybe he’d just sleep here. Winter’s blessing would keep him from harm in the January snow.

“Yep,” came a voice torn between schadenfreude and genuine distress, “Not letting you spend New Years’ Eve without me anymore.”

Cool hands peeled Jamie’s from the lamppost and maneuvered him until he was supported by a slighter (but stronger) form. He was leaning, one arm draped over their shoulders, and his shoulders gripped by their arm. Maybe they could be in a three-legged race?

“No, Jamie, no racing tonight.”

“Aww, you’re no fun.”

“Excuse me!? I’m the embodiment of fun!”

“Really? Coooooool.”

Jamie wasn’t paying much attention to where they were going. More interested in the conversation he was having with his rescuer. The guy was pretty great – reminded Jamie of his best friend a lot. But their talk about the mechanics of flying penguins was cut short when Jamie found himself outside his dorms.

“Here we are.”

“This is my place.”

“Yes it is. God, Jamie you’re so airheaded when you’re drunk.”

Jamie tried the door. It didn’t open.

“It’s locked. Why? I wanna sleep.”

“Dude, where’s your keycard?” his white knight asked, patting Jamie down. “I hope you didn’t have it on a lanyard, ‘cause you don’t have one now. Aha!”

Jamie’s rescuer – he really should get his name, especially since he had his – scanned the card and opened the door. And waved him inside.

Jamie frowned. This wasn’t how it was meant to go. If someone walked you home you were meant to give them a kiss, right? So the drunk young man used the one arm still holding him up to pull his rescuer close and kiss him.

Or at least tried to. His motor skills failed him again, and only succeeded in dragging them both to the ground. And rather than a kiss they bashed heads, quite literally. Though finding himself in the snow with a lithe form covering him was very nice.

So Jamie decided to kiss him again. This time it was just sloppy and awkwardly angled rather than painful. Jamie frowned though at the lack of response from his blanket. Kissing was no fun if they didn’t kiss back.

“Well _sorry_ Casanova, still a little dazed from the headbutting,” his support – though now Jamie was the one supporting the other’s weight – complained. “Let’s get you up.”

“Only if you promise to come up to my room.”

His would-be-partner in kissing frowned disapprovingly even as he helped Jamie to his feet.

“You really shouldn’t invite strangers you meet while drunk inside.”

Jamie laughed, then decided to disguise flopping onto his stalwart support as a hug, “You’re no stranger, silly. I’d know my Jack no matter how drunk I was, _or_ how serious and responsible he was being.

“Now you better walk me to my room. Or will I hav’ta battle the stairs on my own? Also we’re really late for our New Years’ kiss. I turned quite a hunk tonight keeping it for you, you know.”

His white knight, his rescuer, his support, his joy, his boyfriend laughed.

“Fine. I’ll walk you up – but I can’t stay, got Guardian work to do.”

“I know, now kiss me.”

So he did.

It was still unpolished though. 

### 1 (19) 

Jamie’s gleeful cackle was stolen by the jet stream. The Earth curved below them. Jamie was tumbling along, hand in hand with Jack. A much less placid version of Peter Pan and Wendy. Equally graceful in Jamie’s opinion though.

It had taken several long years, but befriending the Wind so she would carry him like Jack was totally worth it. Even if she’d given him a shovel talk of sorts after he and Jack got together. Suffice to say, he doubted any of the Guardians would get a chance to make his life a living-hell. The Wind would deal with him first. And an incorporeal force of nature would easily make it look like an accident.

But since Jamie had no plans to screw up that wasn’t going to be a problem.

And it was definitely helpful for these kinds of dates. While sneaking Jack into the movies was good, it wasn’t much _fun_. Flying around the world, attempting to gate-crash as many New Year’s Eve events as they could was much better.

They’d just been to Reykjavík (and Jamie could now say that right) where the amount of fireworks had been _staggering_. And deafening. And almost blinding. In short, a lot of fireworks. 

Now they were off to Times Square for midnight in Jamie’s local timezone. Sweeping down the east coast watching as dark oceans and forest gave way to the lights of civilization. First small towns, then the beginning of the mass that was Boston and New York beyond.

However as they swept past the Statue of Liberty, the Wind didn’t settle but in fact surged, pushing them up and over Manhattan. They were blown far off course and inland.

“Jack!?” shouted Jamie over the Wind, “I thought we were going to Times Square?”

His wintery boyfriend merely laughed. Jamie wanted to cross his arms and huff. But that would be a stupid move when a couple of miles above the ground, holding onto the spirit keeping you aloft. After more interrogation – and realising he recognised this bit of the Appalachians, Jamie was able to get some confirmation.

“We’re going to Burgess aren’t we?”

“Yep. Surprise!”

Jamie quirked an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. While New York was spectacular he had no problem dropping in at his hometown. Though how he’d better come up with an explanation for when he bumped into someone who knew he should still be across the country at college.

After the massive showmanship of Reykjavík, Berlin, or Moscow; a small town like Burgess was something else. Less than a few thousand people – much less than a few million. It was much more intimate. Jamie figured that he might have matured a little (but not grown up, or Jack would be upset) since he didn’t mind having the glamour of Times Square replaced with the everydayness of his hometown.

It was a nice night, very reminiscent of their first New Year’s as boyfriends. Though with less winning of plush animals. They walked and talked – and hid whenever Jamie thought he saw someone who’d recognise him. Which was a lot of people.

Jack wasn’t much help. He didn’t have to hide from the adults in Jamie’s life (or sadly the rest of his gang), and he would never truly hide from his young believers. Plus, he kept singing a “stealth” soundtrack for Jamie.

When midnight rolled around, Jack steered Jamie away from the crowd near the screen and Old Thad, to his lake. The pond was frozen and Jamie mentally narrowed his eyes at the icicles in the surrounding trees. He was certain Jack had made an attempt to spruce up his lake. Where those ice sculpted hearts?

“Jamie.”

Jack’s tone had dropped his mischievous light-heartedness for a serious tone – though Jamie detected a hint of nervousness.

“I need to ask you something. No, let me ramble. I hope you’ll say yes, but I don’t know if it is possible. I think it should be but nothing is simple is it? I made it myself – well North did the base, but I prettied it with my magic. Also none of this is because I think you’re a girl. I might look better in white than you.” 

Jack took a deep breath and gathered himself, raising hand when Jamie made to speak.

“Anyway, I love you – and you love me, so…”

Jack dropped to one knee in front of Jamie, pulled a small box from his hoodie pocket, and held it up to Jamie. Inside was a silver ring frosted in diamond snowflakes.

“Will you marry me?”

Jamie reached out and grabbed Jack’s hands, but didn’t get further as what was happening sunk in. The frost spirit seemed to understand it wasn’t a refusal but still had to fill the silence.

“I mean it doesn’t have to be right now. A long engagement is totally doable. I mean we’ve got time, well I’ve got time. And we need time to fix that – though I’d rather one lifetime with you than many regret–”

Jack kept rambling into the kiss for a few words before realising what was happening. Jamie grinned into the kiss and let it continue. Half on autopilot he considered Jack’s request. He’d thought about it before but never considered actually pushing for it – for all the reasons Jack raised and more. Staring at his ceiling at four in the morning, Jamie had decided better to have Jack for real than worry about a piece of paper.

But since Jack had asked, how could he say no? Honestly, Jamie simply wanted to say yes. 

The icicles and frost scattered the light of the fireworks pushing the winter wonderland into pure magic. Jamie retreated – barely – from the kiss, and settled with their foreheads together.

“Yes Jack. Yes.”

Jamie wanted to say more but the fireworks’ noise had arrived. So he pulled Jack up to spun them so they could watch the show together. Burgess’ lightshow was short though, so soon Jamie was able to speak softly into Jack’s ear.

“I would love to marry you. Of course, I’ll wear your ring,” Jamie smiled and briefly paused, “so long as you give me a little time to get one for you.”

Jack’s giggle was quiet and more felt than heard. Jamie let the frost sprite slip out of his embrace, and then held out his hand imperiously. Ever up for a bit of fun, Jack strove to out-overact and bowed deeply with a double hand wave.

Though Jack’s eyes betrayed his investment as slipped the ring onto Jamie’s finger.

Jamie held it up to examine it. Etched in the silver were frost ferns and snowflakes – Jack – but also stars – him. Suspicious, he ran a finger along the “diamonds”. They were ice cold, and Jamie recognised it as Jack’s never-melting ice.

“Thank you, and Happy New Year.”

And because he could, Jamie kissed his fiancé.


End file.
